China announced the discovery of a superlarge ion-adsorption-type rare earth deposit in the southern province of Yunnan. According to La República, the China Geological Survey estimated that the Yunnan deposit contains 1.15 million tons of potential resources. Of these, more than 470,000 tons correspond to critical elements such as praseodymium, neodymium, dysprosium, and terbium.
The Yunnan deposit is expected to become the largest medium and heavy rare-earth deposit in China. This discovery complements existing resources of light rare earths, which are primarily located in regions like Bayan Obo in Inner Mongolia and Maoniuping in Sichuan. middle and heavy rare-earth resources are essential raw materials for electric vehicles, renewable energy, and national defense security.
Elements like neodymium and dysprosium are crucial for manufacturing electric vehicle motors and are also essential for wind turbines and high-precision electronic systems. These minerals are indispensable in radars, satellites, and aerospace technologies, playing a role in national defense.
The discovery is expected to further strengthen China's strategic advantage in the field of rare-earth resources. The US and the European Union have repeatedly expressed concern about their dependence on Chinese exports in the sector, and both are seeking to diversify their supply chains, as noted by La República. The integration of the new resources from the Yunnan deposit into the supply chain could widen the dominance gap between China and other international producers, according to El Economista.
This discovery in Yunnan adds to previous discoveries made since 1969, when the first deposit of this type was identified in Jiangxi province, as reported by 20 Minutos.
In October, China made adjustments to its export control policies related to graphite products in pursuit of "national security," as reported by El Economista. Additionally, in August, China announced the imposition of restrictions on the export of antimony, a metal used in industrial sectors such as battery manufacturing and flame retardants.
This article was written in collaboration with generative AI company Alchemiq